Darren Kinnard/River Radio Sports Central
Football is the only IHSA sports that requires teams to earn a spot in the postseason. As we head into the final two weeks of the regular season, the dddplayoff picture has started to come into focus.
16 teams in the region have clinched playoff spots (6 or more wins, conference champions) with three more teams playoff eligible with five wins.
There are 12 teams at 4-3 who control their playoff destinies–win their final two games, and they’re in, while splitting their final two games makes them playoff eligible and still alive for a postseason spot.
And we have nine more who must win their final two games, and some of those teams will need help from others. That help comes in the form of increased playoff points from wins by previous opponents.
Here is the list of teams who have clinched, are playoff eligible, have work to do, or still have a lot of work to do, along with who they play in the final two weeks.
Playoff points in parentheses followed by games remaining
Clinched (16):
East St. Louis 7-0 (34) vs Edwardsville/vs IMG Academy
Chester 7-0 (27) vs Red Bud/vs Waterloo
Casey-Westfield 7-0 (26) @ Richland Co./vs Paris
Breese Central 7-0 (26) vs Columbia/@ Herrin
Sesser-Valier/Waltonville 7-0 (26) vs Johnston City/@ Flora
Richland Co. 7-0 (23) vs Casey-Westfield/@ Robinson
Althoff 7-0 (23) @ Granite City/vs Kaneland
Waterloo 6-1 (36) vs Mascoutah/@ Chester
Johnston City 6-1 (34) @ S-V/Waltonville/vs Carmi-White Co.
Edwardsville 6-1 (34) @ East St. Louis/ vs De Smet Jesuit (MO)
Cahokia 6-1 (32) vs Collinsville/@ Sycamore
Du Quoin 6-1 (32) @ Nashville/@ Murphysboro
Carmi-White Co. 6-1 (27) vs Eldorado/@ Johnston City
Nashville 6-1 (27) vs Du Quoin/vs Dupo
Murphysboro 6-1 (26) @ Carterville/vs Du Quoin
Triad 6-1 (25) @ Civic Memorial/vs Collinsville
Playoff Eligible/Win and In (3):
Carterville 5-2 (32) vs Murphysboro/vs Anna-Jonesboro
Columbia 5-2 (30) @ Breese Central/vs Jerseyville
Roxana 5-2 (24) @ EAWR/vs Alton Marquette
Work to do (12):
Highland 4-3 (41) @ Jerseyville/vs Decatur St. Teresa
Collinsville 4-3 (37) @ Cahokia/@ Triad
Belleville East 4-3 (33) vs Belleville West/vs Granite City
Benton 4-3 (32) vs Pinckneyville/@ Harrisburg
Centralia 4-3 (31) @ Mt. Vernon/@ Effingham
Fairfield 4-3 (29) vs Hamilton Co./@ Edwards Co.
Flora 4-3 (29) vs TDW Academy (MO)/vs S-V/Waltonville
Red Bud 4-3 (29) @ Chester/vs EAWR
Dupo 4-3 (26) @ Sparta/@ Nashville
Harrisburg 4-3 (24) vs Herrin/vs Benton
Marion 4-3 (23) vs Carbondale/vs Mattoon
Red Hill 4-3 (19) @ Massac Co./@ Carlyle
A lot of work to do (9):
Breese Mater Dei 3-4 (38) @ Decatur St. Teresa/vs Mt. Zion
Mascoutah 3-4 (34) @ Waterloo/vs Carbondale
Mt. Vernon 3-4 (33) vs Centralia/@ Alton
Mt. Carmel 3-4 (32) vs Marshall/@ Lawrenceville
Carbondale 3-4 (31) @ Marion/@ Mascoutah
Eldorado 3-4 (30) @ Carmi-White Co./vs CZR
Robinson 3-4 (29) @ Paris/vs Richland Co.
Belleville West 3-4 (26) @ Belleville East/vs Vianney (MO)
West Frankfort 3-4 (24) @ Anna-Jonesboro/@ Sparta
